Islamabad:
Friday, Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board (PSARB) approved the publication of the non-objection certificate (NOC) to the Internet supplier by American satellite, Starlink, an important decision that should strengthen the country’s digital landscape.
The Minister of Information Technologies, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, said that Starlink had obtained a temporary registration in Pakistan on the directive of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, following consensus among all the security and regulatory bodies.
According to sources, Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) was to deliver the starry liaison license in the next two weeks. However, they added that the company could take a year to start its services to Pakistani consumers.
Starlink, owned by the billionaire Tech Elon Musk, officially registered with the Securities and Ex-Change Commission (SECP) of Pakistan under the name of Starlink Internet Services (private) Limited and asked to establish two or three fields in the country.
Starlink presented for the first time a request for a long distance international license (LDI) on February 24, 2022.
According to PTA sources, the PSARB has approved NOC’s publication after the Starlink has fulfilled all the requirements of the Space Regulatory Council (SRB) – the organization which implements the national satellite policy, 2023, and the rules of spatial activities of Pakistan, 2024.
PSARB approval is the second step in obtaining the license in Pakistan. The company had obtained the recording of the SECP and the Pakistan Software Export Board. Now the PTA license would be the last step, after which it would start its services.
IT Minister Khawaja said in a statement that Internet satellite approval was an important step for the digital future in Pakistan. “The government has worked in close collaboration with all institutions in the” entirely government “approach to improving Internet services,” she said.
“Modern solutions like satellite internet will considerably improve connectivity, especially in poorly served and far-sighted areas from Pakistan,” she added. It expressed its optimism that the entry of Starlink in Pakistan will officially launch satellite internet services, marking a new era in the country’s digital connectivity.
